Chandra L. Graves C’97

Athletic Hall of Fame, 2013

No greater honor is given to a collegiate field hockey player than to be recognized as one of the top student-athletes in the entire country. In 1996, Chandy (Lynch) Graves C’97 had one of the finest seasons in the entire nation, earning All-America honors in her final season at Drew.

She developed into one of the Rangers’ top scoring threats in her four years in the forest. With a combination of tremendous speed and skill she went on to score 37 goals for the blue and green, ranking her in the top 10 scorers in school history upon graduation.

She was a Middle Atlantic Conference First Team selection in her junior and senior seasons. She also collected Regional All-America honors en route to becoming the program’s sixth All-American in 1996. During her historic senior season she was named to the team’s Most Valuable Player and was the school’s NJIAW Woman of the Year.

Her 18 goals in her final season led the state of New Jersey and she was selected to the prestigious Senior North/South All-Star Game.

The Rangers field hockey program was also among the nation’s elite during her tenure at Drew. In 1995 the Rangers narrowly missed an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked 13th in the country. The Rangers finished 13-5 in 1995 and fell to eventual MAC champion Messiah in the conference semifinals.

Chandy and the Rangers thrived in the annual Fall Festival Tournament at Drew. The Rangers took home three championships from 1993-96. Chandy was named to the All-Tournament Team twice and was the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player in 1996.

She concluded her athletic career at Drew by joining the women’s lacrosse team for the 1996 season. She appeared in 16 games for the blue and green, scoring 16 goals and assisting on nine others. The Rangers won the Middle Atlantic Conference for the third-straight season, posting a 13-2 overall record.

Chandy described the turf at Drew as her escape and her friend for four amazing years. Every minute she spent on the turf, particularly her senior year she just loved.

In the classroom, Chandy was just as successful as she was on the field. She was a three-time, Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll member. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Drew with a degree in Behavioral Science.

After graduating from Drew she worked in a clinic at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that later inspired her to become a nurse. She went back to school and received another Bachelor’s Degree from NYU and went to work as an oncology nurse at Weill/Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

She is married to Paul Graves and lives in Manhattan with her three children, Owen (7), Francie (4) and Piper (eight months).